The islands of Ærø and Als in Southern Denmark are connected by Ellen, the world’s longest-ranging fully electric ferry. Ellen set a new world record on 9 June in Sønderborg, Denmark, where leaders from industry, government, and civil society joined the International Energy Agency (IEA) for the 7th Annual Global Conference on Energy Efficiency.
On her return from the conference, where participants explored how international ambition on energy efficiency can be translated into faster and stronger real-world progress, Ellen sailed 50 nautical miles – 92km – on a single battery charge.
Senior Lecturer, Marstal Naval Academy, Denmark, Henrik Hagbarth Mikkelsen, who helped specify the technical solutions for the ferry during its design phase, was on-board for the trip:
“The 92km trip on a single battery charge is the longest planned distance for an electric ferry able to carry both passengers and vehicles to date, anywhere on the globe. We are talking about a clear record. On normal daily trips, the ferry sails 22 nautical miles, or 40km, from harbour to harbour before recharging.”
Ellen does not emit carbon and operates at a 24 percent lower cost than a new diesel ferry. She started sailing in 2019, with Danfoss’ Editron division supplying the electric Editron drivetrains and propulsion motors powering the ferry.
Kimmo Rauma, Vice President of Danfoss’ Editron division, commented:
“Ellen is an excellent example of the future for electric transport. It’s cleaner, greener, and more efficient than her fossil fuel competitors. Electrifying maritime transport is a clear-cut way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And Danfoss has the solutions to build new electric ferries and retrofit existing ones to electrify them with the potential to reduce carbon emissions worldwide.”
Danfoss Editron plans to submit the world record to Guinness World of Records.
